More Perfect Than Before
by dreamchaser31
Summary: Prequel to The Christmas Ring. Follows Stephanie up until the day before The Christmas Ring. Cupcake fic. Review if possible!
1. Something To Celebrate

"Mommy," a small voice broke into my thoughts, "mommy what you doing?"

I looked up to see my small two year old daughter, looking up at me, grinning at me, with a big old pumpkin pie mustache.

_Joe_

"Nothing sweetheart just thinking," I sighed. "Who gave you the pie," I asked, already knowing that the culprit was in deed her daddy.

"Daddy said to tell you it was papa," she giggled, "but you telled me I'm not apposed to lie," she said in her two year old language.

I laughed. She was cute, but ornery just like her daddy. My fiancé.

_Fiancé._

I was going to have to get used to that, I laughed.

"What's funny, mommy," Haven asked, "what's funny." She climbed up on my lap.

"I was just thinking how your daddy was going to be in so much trouble for letting you get messy," I told her.

"Yep," she said, "I is a big messy girl."

"Yea let's get you cleaned up shall we?"

We headed up the stairs in my parents' house to my old room, to get her a change of clothes.

When we came back down everybody was waiting for us, and Joe just looked at us innocently.

"I know it was you," I told him, and that innocent look became a look of fear real fast.

I laughed, and Haven skipped over to her daddy and said, " I was gonna told her daddy, but I remember mommy said I is not apposed to lie."

Joe laughed, "It's ok sweetheart."

My father laughed at his youngest grandchild and said, "Remind me not to tell her any secrets." We all laughed and agreed.

I settled into the love-seat with my child and my future husband and looked around at my family. I remember there was a time in my life when settling down would scare the hell out of me, but now it was extremely welcome. Now don't get me wrong, I still wasn't the idle suburban house wife image that my mom always hoped I would become, like my sister, hell I wasn't even a wife yet, but I was pretty damn close. If you exclude that I can't really cook or do laundry, and I'm a lousy house keeper, than yea.

I also remember three years ago I was the exact opposite, of what I am today. My cars blew up on a daily basis. The thought of sex was on my mind all the time, and the thought of becoming a mom scared the shit out of me.

The day I found out was indeed prego, I woke up in a panic hysteria, sort of. I was over three weeks late, and Joe and I had been a little slack on the whole birth control thing. I just knew that I was going to be a mommy, but I didn't want to admit it. I was perfectly happy being in denial. But I knew that I would have to find out soon. So I decided that day was soon enough. I called Mary Lou and asked her to go shopping with me. She agreed since the kids were in school, and she didn't have anything better to do.

_Flash back 3 years earlier._

_Mary Lou showed up at my doorstep, or rather Joe's doorstep, and looked me up and down._

"_Have you told him yet," she asked, smiling._

"_Told who what," I asked playing stupid, even though I knew what and who she was talking about._

_She rolled her eyes, but played along, " Morelli, have you told him your pregnant yet?"_

_I sighed, "No I haven't, I don't even know if I am yet, and I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about it."_

" _Stop talking about what," Joe asked as he walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but jeans, his hair was damp from his morning shower, and his skin glistened with water droplet's from his hair._

_I gasped at the sight of him. We've been together three years and he still has that OMG effect on me._

_It pisses me off._

"_Umm, nothing," I stammered, "we were talking about nothing," brilliant, I sound like a babbling idiot._

_He looked at me and grinned, "Cupcake," he shook his head, "it's not very good to keep secrets."_

_He winked at Mary and she orgasmed on the spot. I rolled my eyes at her, and walked towards to where Joe was standing, making coffee._

"_Want some," he asked._

"_Umm yea, sure," I said. " So, uh, what are you doing today?"_

_He looked at me for a few seconds, probably wondering what I was up to this time, I tended to get that look a lot from Morelli. " Nothing," he said slowly, probably hoping he didn't just get himself into something stupid. "I don't have to work today, and neither do you so I was thinking, we'd do lunch at my mom's house._

_O Joy!!!! _

_I stood there with a big smile on my face, praising myself for already making plans. " Well Mary Lou and I already made plans to go shopping today."_

"_It won't be all day," she said, with a big smile on her face, "we'll be done before lunch, so I'm sure Stephanie would be glad to go to lunch."_

_I glared at her and made a mental note to my self to kill her when we were alone and bury her in a ditch at the side of the rode. She just looked back at me innocently and laughed._

"_So Cupcake, I'll see you back here at one then?" Morelli said with a smile, knowing he won the first battle that day._

"_Sure," I said through clenched teeth, "one it is."_

_He pulled me into a hug and looked down at me, " It won't be so bad this time Cupcake," he said, " my grandma is at Tony's babysitting Anthony and Lelani. It's just going to be you, me, and my mom."_

_I exhaled and smiled, I could handle that. "Ok," I said with real enthusiasm this time, "can't wait." His mom was a good cook, and she made some damn good canolis. This day might turn out alright after all I thought, if I wasn't pregnant. _

_He gave me his debit card and told me to buy me something pretty. Probably since he felt bad for me having to go to his mother's house. He gave me a kiss and left the room with a "Don't have too much fun, ladies," thrown over his shoulder._

"_Tell me why you don't want to marry that man again," Mary Lou said with a sigh, and faraway dreamy look in her eyes._

" _I really don't know at this point, but give me time it's only nine in the morning," I laughed._

_We headed out to the mall and Mary Lou automatically headed to the Baby Gap. I groaned. If I was indeed Prego this was going to be a long 9 months, I thought._

_After Baby Gap we headed to the food court, I was in the mood for some serious Chinese, than I stopped._

_Oh Shit!!!_

_I hate Chinese._

_I told Mary Lou that I was heading to the pharmacy area right away to get a pregnancy test. And all I heard was, "it's about time." I just rolled my eyes and kept on walking._

_10 minutes later I was in the restroom, with the test in hand looking at my watch, when Mary Lou came in with a huge smile on her face._

"_Guess who I just saw," she asked._

" _Who," I asked._

"_Dickie and Joyce," she laughed, " they were swapping spit on that bench by Macy's, and guess what," she asked excitedly._

" _What?"_

" _You remember the other day when we saw her you wondered if she was pregnant cause it looked like she put on about 50 pounds," she stopped for a breath._

"_Yea, your point?"_

"_Well I was getting there calm down. Geez. Anyway I went up to her and asked her if she was and she said she wasn't. She just fat, Stephanie isn't that just the funniest thing you've ever seen?"_

"_Mary Lou! You can't just go up to women and ask them if they're pregnant, that's my job. Hello your supposed to be the reserved one here," I laughed and then directed my attention back to the stick, and flipped it over._

" _Wohoo I'm not pregnant," I exclaimed as I started jumping up and down ,and dancing in circles around the ladies website. " Joe Morelli your going to have to do a lot more than not wear a condom to get me pregnant!"_

_Mary Lou just looked at me and laughed. She took the stick from me and frowned, "Uh Steph," she said, "there's two lines on this stick," she pointed out._

"_Yea and your point, that means I'm not pregnant," I said while I continued dancing._

"_No Stephanie, two lines means positive," she said and I stopped dancing, "Stephanie you are pregnant, see?"_

_Crap._

_I took the test from her hands and looked at it again and then I looked at the instructions. It did indeed say that two lines meant positive. Shit._

" _How are you going to tell Morelli?"_

_I looked at her than I looked back at the test in my hand, " I don't know," and then all the sudden the thought of being a mommy didn't sound so bad to me after all. I mean I knew I would have to become one sooner or later, and why wouldn't I want to have a baby with Morelli. He was sexy as hell, caring, compassionate, and I've seen him with my nieces and his nieces and nephews, he was so good to them. He loved kids._

_I placed my hand on my soon to be swollen stomach and smiled at her, " I'm going to be a mom," I said, " I'm really going to be a mom."_

" _Incredible feeling, isn't it?"_

" _The most," I smiled._

" _How are you going to tell Joe," she asked again._

" _How do you think I should tell him?"_

_She grabbed my hand, " Follow me," she said._

_I got back to the house at about 12:15, set on giving the news to Joe before we had to go to his mothers. I figured just in case hi nut case grandma was there, who had a tendency to see right through me when I was hiding something, he would know before any one. Well except Mary Lou, but she doesn't count. _

_He was sitting on the couch in the living room watching the weather, we were supposed get a lot of rain it looks like, and than an extreme heat wave was supposed to cover Trenton afterwards. Great I thought to myself, nothing like being hot and pregnant at the same time._

_I made a quick calculation. It was the end of May now so the baby should be born in the end of January. Well thank God it was going to be cooler then._

_I sat down on the couch and faced him._

"_You're home early," he grinned and he reached up to give me a kiss, and then he noticed the package in my arms._

" _Whatcha got there," he asked._

" _Joe," I said, "I need to tell you something."_

"_Did you blow up your car? I didn't get a call. I'm going to call them and give them a piece of my mi-"_

" _Joe," I laughed at his cluelessness, "no it's nothing like that. Here."_

"_Aww," he said in a high pitched girls voice, "you got me a present, that's so sweet." _

_I laughed. " Just open it," I said_

_He looked at me once more and then directed his attention on the box._

_I watched as he carefully undid the wrapping paper and bows that were connected. He got to the box and looked at me and smiled. I smiled back at him and he looked down and continued to open the box. He got it open and he froze._

_He picked up the little onesie inside and looked at me with a question in his eyes. He looked at the onsie again and then a little light bulb turned on. He looked back at me again and smiled. "Cupcake?"_

_He laid it down then he saw the test and picked up the test. His smile became and ear to ear grin as he said, " I'm going to be a daddy?"_

_I smiled at him with tears in my eyes, I couldn't have asked for a better reaction. " Yea, and I'm going to be a mommy," I managed to choke out._

" _I can't believe," he started, with what looked like tears starting to form in his eyes, " all my life I thought I would never get to live this, to become a dad, and now…" he stopped as the tears began to stream down his face. "wow," he finished._

_There was a time when the thought of seeing Joe Morelli cry would be a huge turn off, but now it was way too sexy for me to stand. I laughed. "Yea, and the thought of me becoming a mom, would totally scare the shit out of me."_

_He laughed and agreed. He moved over and the next thing I know we were on our way upstairs thanking each other and preparing for an event that would make our already perfect lives, way more perfect than before._


	2. The Fight

_We were late to his mother's house for dinner because somebody, and I'm not naming any names, decided to go for an extra "quickie" in the shower._

_Okay. I admit it, it was me._

_We got there about 1:45, and his mother met us on the doorstep._

"_Joseph," she said disapprovingly, then she turned to me and smiled, "Stephanie it's nice to see you again."_

"_Thanks for having me," I said politely, "sorry we're late."_

"_It's not a problem sweetheart, at least you're here now." she said._

_I stared at her in shock. This was not Mrs. Morelli. Angie Morelli should be scolding us right now, telling us how rude it is to show up to an occasion late when somebody invites you. Where was that Mrs. Morelli at?_

_I just laughed at myself and shook it off. Oh well at least his nutty grandma isn't here, she'd never let me hear the end of it._

"_Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie," I knew that voice. I hated that voice. It couldn't be._

"_Taking advantage of my favorite grandson again aren't you?"_

_Bella. That's why Mrs. Morelli was being so nice._

_Shit!!_

_I quickly turned around and put on my fakest real smile I could come up with. "Nu-, I mean Grandma Bella," I exclaimed, " how nice to see you again." Oh boy, this was going to be one interesting day._

"_It's not very nice to lie to and old lady, Stephanie," she reprimanded me._

"_How do you know I'm lying?"_

"_Your mouth is moving," she said without delay._

_I started to go towards her, "You know what you-," but I was cut off by somebody pulling me back._

"_Cupcake, now is not the time to go psycho on my grandma, drop it."_

_I looked at him with disbelief. "I wasn't going to do anything to her. What kind of person do you think I am that you would think I would go after an old lady?" I asked in feigned disbelief._

_He smiled at me and gave me a look that said, " not now," and left the room to go help his mom with lunch._

_I turned around and found Bella looking up at me, a smile on her face, and her hands folded around her mid section. Which told me one thing._

_She knew._

" _So have you told Joseph yet?"_

"_Told Joseph what?"_

" _About the baby," she asked._

_I sighed. You just could not hide any secrets around this family. " Yes, I've told him."_

" _So when is the wedding?"_

_Woah, wait a minute. Did she just say wedding? I was not getting married. I was not ready for that responsibility. I just found out that I was going to be a mom. Let me get used to that idea first._

" _Umm, we're not getting married."_

" _You are having a baby, aren't you," she asked, " you need to get married."_

" _We don't NEED to get anything," I was getting mad now, " you NEED to shut up."_

" _Well I have never-," she started._

"_That's right, get used to it, and stay out of it. Joe and I will get married when we think we're ready to. We're not going to get married just because we're having a baby together. It's the 21__st__ century not the dinosaur age," I was yelling now, but I couldn't help it. When Bella wasn't scaring me she was making me mad._

_Bella started shaking, and not with laughter. She started moaning, and moving her arms around. That could only mean one thing. She was putting the eye on me. _

_OH HELL NO!!!_

"_What the fuck do you think you're doing old lady," I screamed at her, causing Joe and his mother to come in the family room._

"_Bella stop," Mrs. Morelli yelled._

_But she just kept going on moaning on and on about three babies, all boys, and Joe and I living in sin. Now I'm not normally a violent person. Except when I'm around Bella. She drives me crazy, so I have an excuse. I started to yell at her again, but a hand covered my mouth. I was turned around and escorted out of the family room to the kitchen._

"_Stephanie," he stated angrily, " why must you always get her going? Why can't you just get a long with her through one family dinner? Is that too much to ask? Just once, just once, I wish you would listen to me."_

"_But Joe, she' s the one that started it, I was being nice to her. And what do you expect the woman hates me she always has."_

" _You were being nice to her, Stephanie, you are never nice to her."_

" _What so you're calling me a liar now," I asked in disbelief over what I just heard. I can't believe we were standing here yelling at each other, on a day no less, that was supposed to be the happiest of our lives. We're going to be parents for goodness sake._

" _No! I'm not calling you a liar, damn it Stephanie, stop putting words in my mouth."_

" _You know what, think what you want. I'm out of here."_

" _So what," he said, " this is how it's going to be for the rest of our baby's life. Mommy and Daddy getting into fights and then Mommy walks out, and runs off into the waiting arms of another man. A man that's not it's daddy. How do you think it' s going to feel? Huh? Tell me that Stephanie."_

" _This has nothing to do with Ranger, and you know it. So leave him out of this. What about you though, huh? What about you, it just seems like Terry is always waiting there on the sidelines for you when things get tough." I knew I was being a bitch then, cause I knew he never once went out on me with Terry. But I was so mad at the Ranger comment it just slipped out._

_He was even more livid now, and his yelling got even louder, I've never seen him like this. "Terry! I haven't been with Terry since high school," he was screaming so loud right now I figured if I survived this screaming match I would need a hearing aid. "I'm not the one with issues on being faithful Stephanie. I told you, I love you. That's it. But you on the other hand," he stopped._

_I knew what he was trying to say, and I knew he was right. I did have commitment issues. So much to a point where it was hurting my relationship with the one guy that I really wanted to be with. I looked up at him and what I saw was like a bullet to my heart. I saw hurt. I knew I was the cause of it._

" _I've told you before, Stephanie," his voice was calmer, lower now, " I would marry you today, tomorrow, whenever your ready. I really would. I would go to the moon and bring you back a rock, if that made you happy. I'd do anything for you, and you know that. But every time we get into these arguments though, you walk out, and where do you turn to? You go to him, each and every time."_

_I looked down at my feet with guilt. I knew he was right. I did do that every single time, and I had no one to blame, not Joe, not Ranger, not even my cheating ex husband, just me._

_He was crying now, " Stephanie, one of these times, I'm scared you're not going to come back. I couldn't take it, Steph. And now we're having a baby," he paused, "you need to make a decision. You need to decide what you want, who you want. You can't keep walking on the center line, it doesn't work like that Stephanie. We both need to grow up and take responsibility for this child, because it doesn't deserve this. I need to grow up and focus on being the best daddy in the world, and you need to grow up and decide what you want." He walked over to the table and sat down. When he looked at me I could tell he was scared._

_I focused on the silence around me. I could tell Angie and Bella had heard every word cause one of them was in the room sniffling. I'm guessing she knows that she's going to be a grandmother again. I laughed. What a way to break the news. I turned and looked at him.. He was looking down staring at his hands. He was scared, I knew it, and I hated myself for it. I walked over and knelt in front of him and put my hands on his knees. I looked up and saw tears. Tears I knew that I had been the cause of._

" _Joe," I began and he looked at me, his heart may have been located in his chest but his was showing through his eyes right now. I smiled at him, as if reassuring him that everything was going to be ok. " Joe," I said again, " today we found out news that is going to change our lives forever. We're going to be parents. I know that. You know that. And right now I'm pretty sure the whole burg knows that," I laughed. He looked at me and smiled, and nodded his head in agreement. Angie Morelli, wasn't just a good cook, she was also a very good social butterfly, and since this news involved her also, she was going to make sure everybody knew._

"_Joe, ever since I was 16 you were the only guy I ever pictured in my life forever, well except for my dad," I laughed but continued. " When I was in my first year of college, it was you I imagined walking with me, on the campus, or sitting with me under a big tree having a picnic or studying. When I was dating Dickie, it was you I imagined sitting at the table across from me at one of those really fancy restaurants he took me to. Hell when I was marrying him I wish to this day it was you I had married." I looked up at me and he smiled at me to continue._

" _Even when I was shopping for my dress, I asked myself if you would like it, I didn't even care what Dickie would think. And I don't want you to think that I'm telling you all this cause I'm having a baby with you, and I want you to feel better. I'm telling you this cause I think you need to know. Joe, when I first found out I was pregnant today, the first thought on my mind was you. I couldn't see anybody else fathering my baby but you," I breathed and then continued. " Joe I know that you don't deserve all the things I've done to you. You've been nothing but good to me, faithful, and you have never strayed even when we were on one of our breaks. And I can sit here and try to explain to you why I did what I did with Ranger that night, and put the blame on someone else, but I can't blame nobody, not Ranger, not even Dickie, for what I've done. And I sure as hell can't blame you. I know I've hurt you so many times, Joe. You are the most wonderful, tender, loving, guy I have ever met. Nobody I've been with can make me feel like I do when I'm with you."_

_He was quiet, looking away at the far west wall in the kitchen at a picture of me and him, just taken three months before, at Lelani's third birthday party. That night we had a fight, and I left him again. He found me in my apartment sharing a bed with Ranger the next morning. I flinched at the memory, and the hurt expression on his face. It was the same expression he was wearing earlier. Luckily we were able to talk it out about a week later, and what was left unsaid was erased with an evening of balls to the wall marathon sex. I smiled remembering the morning after, I couldn't walk so I had to call into work. But it was worth it. That was the last recent break that we went through, and probably the most difficult. And I knew that there were going to be no more chances after he took me back this last time. Hearing about me and Ranger was one thing, but seeing me with him was completely different._

" _Joe," I whispered, and he looked at me. His eyes were full of pain. I knew he was remembering that night just like I was. " I want you, all those times when I was with him, I thought about you. I thought about what it would be like to lose you, and I didn't like what I saw."_

_He looked at me and a relieved look came across his face. And then I knew, if my choice had been different, I would've destroyed him. " I want to be with you too, Cupcake."_

" _I do to, Joe, so much. Now I'm not talking marriage right away though. We're not ready, that's why your grandma and I got into the fight, but someday, yea. I would love to be a Mrs. Morelli. But your right. We both have some growing up to do, me especially, and adding marriage and a baby into our messy lives would be a lot of work. Let's wait a few years ok?"_

_He smiled and nodded, " More than ok," he laughed, " l love you so much."_

"_I love you too," I said and smiled, "more than you'll ever know."_

_We both stood up then and shared a breathtaking hug. He looked down at me and moved a piece of hair out of my face and bent down gave me the sweetest kiss I've ever received. I looked at him and smiled. " You can't get rid of me that easily, Joe Morelli."_

" _I'm glad, Cupcake."_

_And then a voice broke into our silent reverie. " Well Joseph, I think it's about time I heard that I was getting a grandchild from you," she laughed and looked at me, " I was getting worried." She came over to both of us and gave us each a hug. " Thank you, Stephanie," she whispered in my ear, " this is just what he needs."_

_I smiled and nodded at her._

_Grandma Bella came around the corner, and looked at the scene. Angie had obviously talked to her, and when Angie talks, you listen. "Stephanie," she said, " I'm sorry, I just don't want to see my grandson get hurt again, I just figured marriage would be the best way."_

_I smiled and nodded, " It's ok, Bella," I said, " and I'm sorry too. You were just looking out for Joe, and I got kind of mad."_

" _So you're carrying a Morelli bambino, huh?" She looked at Joe then back at me. " You must be hungry, then."_

"_Starving," I laughed._

" _Well then, let's eat," Angie exclaimed, happy that the fights were over. And the news that she was going to have a new grandchild in nine months, I'm guessing had something to do with it too. I laughed and looked at Joe._

"_Yea let's," I laughed and grabbed his hand, " say did you happen to make any canolis?"_


	3. God's Crazy Sense Of Humor

_I was in a deep slumber on the way home from Mrs. Morelli's house. We had to stop by the station so Joe could go and give the Chief some of the files he had been working on the night before, so he went in and I stayed in the car and slept. That was until my damn cell phone started ringing. _

_My mother._

_I groaned and ignored the call. I went back to sleep and a few seconds later Joe's phone started ringing. OMG! Why Me!? I picked it up and answered it. "What," I asked getting right to the point._

" _Stephanie, you have no reason to be rude," the voice said._

"_But mom I was sleep-," I started._

" _I don't care what you're doing, that is no excuse to be rude," she interrupted. " I just called to remind you about dinner tonight. Remember you promised you'd come?"_

_Oh yea. I sighed. I really didn't feel like going to another family dinner today, since Joe's family lunch turned out so well today. Plus that whole yelling match with Joe made me tired, and horny. But right now sleep was sounding a whole let better than sex. " Mom, tonight really isn't a go-," I began._

" _Oh no Stephanie Rae, your not getting out of this dinner if your life depended on it. Valerie and her family are going to be here, and not to mention your grandma and her new boyfriend," she trailed off. " I'm going to need all the help I can get tonight. Plus I already talked to Joe this morning and he said you guys wouldn't miss it. And remind him to bring his gun, he promised. No don't tell him that. On second thought yea tell him, he promised me. Dinner's at 6. See you later." and then she disconnected before I could say goodbye._

_Ugh. My family. God must have a huge sense of humor. First I receive the news that I'm going to be a mommy, then the fight with Grandma Bella, then the fight with Joe. And now I find out that I have to be at a family dinner doomed to disaster on the same day. He couldn't just let me off the hook just once. Maybe it was punishment for me not being in church on a regular basis. Maybe I should start going. Then again maybe I shouldn't and just deal with his horrible sense of humor._

_I was broke out of my train of thought when Joe opened the door to get in. " Have a nice nap?" He leaned over to me and gave me a kiss. _

"_Yea it was a blast," I said my voice laced with sarcasm, "my mom said to remind you to bring your gun to dinner tonight."_

_He looked at me and realization lit his face, " I'm sorry Cupcake, I told her we would be there this morning. I had no idea that everything was going to turn out like this."_

_I smiled at him and shook my head, "Hey it's ok," I reassured him, " Besides I think we have some very important news to tell my parents, and with your mom already knowing, I think we better do it real soon."_

_He smiled and nodded , "Yea, I think your right," and laughed, "lucky us," he said with fake enthusiasm. And suddenly I was thinking that sex didn't sound like a bad idea anymore. I realized he was thinking the same thing when his eyes suddenly darkened. We were home 5 minutes later closing the door to our bedroom._

_*************************************************************************************_

_I was definitely proud of Joe and me, we weren't even late this time to dinner. My mom, I could tell, was pretty impressed too. We smiled at everybody as we took our seats at the dinner table._

" _So Stephanie," Grandma Mazur said first, " Mrs. Lipnicki said she and her daughter saw you going into the Baby Gap today." She looked at me and smiled._

_I looked at her and groaned. You see this was how the burg worked. You see a person you know do something that' s gossip worthy, like me going into the Baby Gap today, and you automatically tell the next person you see. And of course the chain has to continue until it reaches the person the gossip is about, which in this case was me._

" _Yea, so what about it," I asked. " It's just another store."_

_But my mother could see right more through me. That's how she knew about my first Morelli induced orgasm when I was 16. I couldn't hide anything from her. " You want to tell us the real reason you were in there, Stephanie," she asked, clearly amused she could still read me. I looked over at Morelli. He just looked over at me and shrugged his shoulders, while taking a sip out of his wine glass. _

_Thanks for the help…_

_I looked at my family and gazed at there expectant faces, all of which were looking at me, except for my father, who was clearly thinking that the food on his plate was more important then any news I had to share. I sighed. Why couldn't all of my family be like my father?_

_I looked at Joe again and he smiled and gave me a look that said, let's get this over with._

_I took a deep breath and began. " Well I guess I better tell you before someone else gets to you first," I started._

" _What's that Stephanie," my father had looked up, now clearly interested in the gossip worthy news that his daughter was talking about."_

" _Daddy," I began again, "mom. Joe and I are having a baby," I said in a rushed sort of way._

_My family caught every word though. My father had a big grin on his face and my mom's face wore a mask of aw that I have never seen before. Not even when Valerie announced that she was having her daughter Angie._

"_A baby," she began quietly, then she looked at Joe like he was her knight in shining armor who rode up and stole her misguided daughter away, and gave her a fairy tale ending. He was her hero. " You're having a baby?" Tears were coming down her face in small streams, and Joe stood up, being the hero that he is, and walked over to her. _

" _Yea, that was my first reaction to," he smiled and rubbed her back._

" _It's about time," my father started, " I was getting worried that you would never have any kids."_

" _Me too," grandma responded, " I still can't believe it."_

_Valerie and Albert smiled their congratulations, and continued eating._

" _But we're not getting married yet, mom. So don't even go down that road. Our lives are to chaotic right now, and adding a baby and a marriage to the mix will make it even more chaotic."_

_She laughed and got up to move over by me. " I'll take what I can get, sweetheart. I guess I get the grandchild first," she paused, " I'm so happy for you, both of you, and I'm assuming by the comment earlier, Angie already knows."_

" _Yea," Joe started, " she found out at lunch today."_

_My father had gotten up and moved over to where the three of us were standing and gave me a hug. He turned around and shook Joe's hand, then he decided at the last minute that a hand shake wasn't enough to express his happiness, and pulled him in for a man hug. I just stared in shock. My father wasn't like this. My father never gave "man hugs". Was I living in an alternate universe today or was this just God's weird sense of humor again. What was going on. Grandma Mazur even seemed more subdued tonight than usual. Maybe it was because her new boyfriend had a last minute cancellation on the family dinner tonight. I didn't mind though, this was the kind of announcement I wanted to keep private. If only till tomorrow morning._

_My mother noticing my shock leaned over and whispered, " Your father really likes Joe," she started and looked at Valerie's so called husband, " better then Albert, at least," she laughed. _

_After the announcement everybody finished their dinner and dessert, which I got the first piece of pineapple upside down cake. So I was way ok with that. Then everybody congregated into the living room and watched a Disney channel movie since the three young girls were there. All in all it was a good evening and it contained none of the drama that came this afternoon. Joe and my dad talked the whole time._

" _If it's a boy," he started, " get it in baseball as soon as possible. If it's a girl get her in basketball, so I can go to it's games either way, with a big foam finger."_

_Joe was just laughing, agreeing to every word, and I looked down at my stomach and smiled. _

_Well little one, you're going to have one hell of a huge fan club when you get out here._

_My mom leaned over and whispered, " It's a great feeling, isn't it."_

"_The absolute best," I responded as she leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek._

_When Joe and I got into the car that night, he leaned over and gave me a kiss, and said, " I didn't even have to use my gun, what a bummer."_

_I laughed and looked up at the man I loved since I was 16. "That's probably a good thing," I replied, as we headed home._

_*************************************************************************************_

_The next morning I had a very important heart to heart with the toilet, and Joe was with me the whole time. Offering words of encouragement and saltine crackers when my stomach could handle them. He even was late for work to help me. _

_A couple of hours later I was at Vinnies', and when I walked in I wasn't even watching where I was going. I was thinking about the amazing events that occurred after last nights dinner. And most of them happened in bed. I smiled at Connie and Lola as they waved hi._

_Then I ran into Ranger. _

_Great just how I wanted to start my day._

"_Babe," he started, " you're looking refreshed this morning."_

" _Ranger," I began, " we need to talk."_

" _Does this talk involve, a bed?"_

"_No, it doesn't," I responded getting agitated. Was that all he thought about?_

"_Ranger," I began, " yesterday I found out I was pregnant. And I finally made some serious decisions about my life, that I had been avoiding to make because I was scared."_

_The girls gasped, and starting coming towards me. " Omg I bet it's gonna look so much like Officer Hottie."_

_I waved at them to silence them. I didn't need any distractions. This was between me and Ranger._

" _Ranger, I love Morelli. I love him so much that I can't see my life without him. We're having a baby together, and I need to focus on that. He is my world and I'm not going to throw that away for a careless fling that means nothing to me." Okay I knew I was being harsh, but it was the truth. I needed to get this through to him and I knew no other way. " What we had together, if anything, it's over. It never should have happened in the first place. And I'm sorry to say that I did let it go on when I should've stopped it. I need to focus on what' s important to me right now, and that' s Joe and this baby."_

_He looked at me with a blank face, and then said, " So that's what I am to you, huh? Just some kind of a school- girl fling that means nothing to you."_

_Okay so I was getting pissed off now. " Ranger you know good and damn well that anything between would never work. Hell you even said so yourself. I'm almost 33 years old and it's about time I start thinking about what I want in my life. This has nothing to do with Joe and the baby, or even our families, this has to do with me and you. You know what we did was uncalled for. You know it never should have happened. And now I do too. Heck I knew it the whole time. But Joe deserves better. He has been nothing but patient with me till I figured out what I wanted. I want him, and you can stick with that decision or you can leave. Joe is my life now. Now I'm not saying you have to like it, I'm saying If you still want to be my friend, you have to show him and me some respect. Or else you can't even be that. Understood?" _

_He looked at me for what seemed like eternity but was really like 30 seconds. He nodded and walked out. Obviously not happy with what I just said. _

_Oh well, I thought, too bad for him. I really don't care anyways. I'm not going to ruin something good being stupid._

_Lula and Connie just stared at me in shock, obviously over what I just said. "So," I started, " aren't you going to congratulate me?"_


	4. The Diet and the Suprise Visitor

_The toilet had become my new best friend over the past couple of days, and saltines, they were the new pineapple upside cake for me, and Joe was there for me the whole time offering me words of encouragements, and the saltines when my stomach could handle them. _

_We had our first doctor's appointment today. Now before you get too excited, today was just like a regular check up. They did do the sonogram, but it wasn't to see the sex of the baby or anything. It's way too soon for that. They just did a sonogram to take some measurements of the baby and to see how well it's developing. Joe sat there and held my hand the whole time, and a noticed a few tears in his eyes when the first picture of our baby, barely big enough to even be called that, was shown on the machine._

_He was going to be a good daddy, I knew it._

_After the sonogram was finished, our doctor escorted us into her office and shut the door. "Well, congratulations you guys, it seems like your baby is very healthy at the moment."_

_Even though I knew it was, I let out a sigh of relief. Like it or not, I was not the mother type. I'm not even sure what I was supposed to be doing while I was pregnant, but lucky us. The doctor knew me and he knew that I wasn't ready so she gave me some advice. She said she gave it to all new parents, but I knew this was especially for me._

" _You'll be able to find out the sex of your baby in about two to three months from now, since you're about six weeks along now. When that is determined, then we can start getting into the technical stuff, like circumcision, if it's a boy, or just any questions on how to take care of anything else. To give you a relative look of your baby now," she paused and pulled out the picture from our file and continued, " your baby doesn't even weigh a pound yet, so it's still pretty little. It'll definitely start gaining weight in the later months."_

_Joe was nodding, listening to every word. And me, well I was fascinated with the picture, wow there really is a baby inside me. OMG, I was going to get fat like Valerie did._

"_In order to understand this pregnancy though you do need to realize that not all pregnancies are easy. I'm sure that you are finding that out with your bouts of morning sickness you described to me earlier," she paused and looked at me, " now I'm not saying this is going to happen, but I do need to tell you that it does. Miscarriage is also a very talked about subject, especially in this first trimester, and since it's your first baby, we don't know your history of how well your body is able to carry it, so we're going to watch you carefully. I do recall you're sister, Joe, having one as well. Is that right?"_

_Joe just nodded, and I looked back at the doctor as she continued, " I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about, since everything seems to be going great at the moment, but that's just a heads up. Other than that the baby is doing great developing, and we are looking at a January 21__st__ due date, but you never know for sure."_

_I just laughed, wow that is a long time from now, and continued listening._

" _Another item that I want to bring up is your diet." I groaned, and Joe looked at me and laugh. I glared at him. This was not going to be a fun pregnancy I already knew._

_The doctor looked at me and laugh, " Now Stephanie, I've known you your whole life, so I know all about your dessert passion. Now I'm not saying you have to give up dessert all the way, just take it in moderation. And since I know you both so well I also know about your love for fast food," she stopped and looked at our faces in laughed, " easy guys don't shoot the messenger," she stopped and looked at Joe, "seriously. You really want to gain about 20 to 30 pounds during pregnancy and most of that you want to be just the baby and the water sac. The baby eats what you eat, Stephanie. So if you eat a meatball sub from Pino's, it eats a meatball sub from Pino's, and I'm sure even you can agree that it's not very healthy for a baby. I'm saying take the fast food in moderation. Try some fruits and veggies for the folic acid that you need. You will also need a lot of protein, so red meat is also good too. Like I said before, take sugar in moderation."_

_Joe had grabbed a pen and began jotting all the minor details down. I just rolled my eyes. Welcome to prison. I looked at him and laughed. Oh yea, he is worth it._

"_What about pain reliever," Joe began, " I remember my sister saying she couldn't take certain types when she was pregnant."_

" _Tylenol is the only one I can recommend, but you even need to take that only when necessary. As for other types of medication that you may need, definitely see me to see if that's ok. I'm also prescribing some pre-natal vitamins for you to take everyday Stephanie, so you may pick them up at the pharmacy later this evening."_

_I nodded, finally getting serious about my pregnancy. I was going to be a mommy, and there was no stopping that._

" _If you guys have anymore questions, you know how to reach me, and I'll have my secretary set you up with another appointment, about a month from now. So if that's it, I'll let you guys be on your way." She smiled and stood up._

_We stood up, shook her hand, and said our thanks as we walked out the door. Once in the car, I looked at Joe and said, " I think we need to do a little grocery shopping," and laughed._

_He was obviously worried about how I was going to react to the whole diet thing. When he heard what I said, he smiled and nodded. And when he leaned over to give me a kiss he said, "that's my girl, Cupcake. I'm so proud of you."_

_And off to the store we went._

_*************************************************************************************_

_Later that afternoon, after our field trip to the grocery store, I plopped down on the couch. I was about asleep, when I heard Joe open the kitchen door. I didn't think anything of it until Mary Lou came into the living room._

" _Rise and shine," she said all cheerful and such._

"_No."_

" _Come on I brought you presents, and I know you like presents," she said baiting the hook._

_I do like presents, but I was so tired. Presents or sleep? Presents or sleep? Ugh, I hate Mary Lou right now._

"_This had better be good," I seethed._

"_Well, I know you're pretty much clueless when it comes to pregnancy, or even babies in that matter. So first of all I got you this book."_

_I looked at it, and read the title. " What to Expect when You're Expecting. Hey yea, I've seen those before."_

_She nodded, " This book was a life saver when I was first pregnant, so I know it'll help you a lot."_

_I smiled and nodded my thanks, but she wasn't finished yet._

"_And I know that when you have you're baby shower, you get all your gifts but I couldn't help it. I'm just so excited for you and Joe, so I had to get you something else." as she pulled out what looked to be a gift set and handed it to me. "Now I know you don't know what you guys are having yet so I picked out a neutral color. It can go for either sex. It's just a little ''Congratulations" present from me,'' she squealed, " oh I'm just so excited!"_

_Joe looked at her and laughed, but I just looked down at the tiny clothes that were in the box for our baby. This was really happening to me and I just couldn't believe it. I had the man of my dreams and now this. It was to surreal. "Thank you," I said as I started to cry. She came over to us and hugged us both. _

" _Hey," she said, " it's what I'm here for. Now the kids are going to be out of school any minute so I better get home. But I just wanted to say my congratulations officially."_

_We both said our thank you's to her and then she was gone._

_I ended up falling asleep on the couch still wore out from shopping today, I guess. Cause the next thing I remember was Joe waking me up, telling me it was time to eat. He had made something "healthy" tonight, and I could tell he was proud. He made baked chicken, with mashed potatoes, a tossed salad with low-fat ranch, and straw-berry fruit smoothies. Now if that isn't healthy I don't know what is. I even drank a glass of milk while he got his regular beer. I'm really proud of myself._

_Afterwards, we did the dishes together, and only got a little bit of water on the floor. The rest of it was on us. We were about to go to bed when we heard knocking at the front door. Joe went to answer it but I followed._

_I knew who it was the second he opened the door without having to look, cause his fists clenched, and his breathing was shallow._

_I looked around him and all the voice said was, "Babe."_


	5. Super Bella To The Resucue

"_What are you doing here," where the first words out of Joe's mouth. Yes he was being rude but I couldn't blame him._

" _I came to talk to Stephanie," he replied just as rudely, and that' s where I drew the line. This whole thing was between me and him, Joe didn't even have anything to do with it._

"_Well," I started, " I'm standing right here, anything you have to say can be said in front of Joe."_

_Ranger shifted his weight to one foot and leaned against the door frame. " Yea I thought you would say that, that's why I have to talk to him too."_

_Okay now that confused me. What was he trying to pull? I'm not very good at this ESP shit that I swear he has._

" _Talk," Joe replied._

" _Well where I come from, it's rude to have people come over for a visit and not invite them in," he retorted._

"_Well," I replied, " we're not from where your from."_

" _I know that," he said, as he pushed through Joe and me and walked into the living room. " Nice place, you may want to upgrade before the baby comes though," he said._

_Okay so I was only a little mad before, but now I was furious. He had no right, and I totally would not blame Joe if he just pulled back and decked him. " And you may want to find the heart you lost before your daughter comes back up again. Now Joe already asked you once, so I'm going to ask you again, what are you doing here?"_

_He smiled that sly smile, that was when I knew that something was up. " Oh don't worry Babe, I just came to talk some sense into you."_

"_What's that supposed to mean," Joe asked, furious._

" _Oh," he responded smugly, " I think she knows what it means."_

_Okay that was the final straw. " Ranger," I began calmly, " I already told you. I'm getting to old to be playing games. I'm having a baby for goodness sake, and if you don't believe me there's a picture over there on the coffee table," I said pointing to the table. " This you and me stuff, shouldn't have even happened in the first place, and I'm ashamed to admit that it did. Yes, I loved you at a time, but I love Joe, and I always will. The ''us'' issue is over," I finished._

" _Of course it's over right now," he started, "that is until you get into another fight, and then you'll be back in my bed, and you know it."_

_I don't even remember seeing who swung the first punch it was too quick, but I'm thinking it was Joe. I knew from experience that Morelli was a no nonsense kind of person, and I knew that Ranger's comments sent him over the edge. But I also new from experience that once you get him going, you really can't stop him. From where I was standing Ranger was clearly getting the beating, which surprised me because I always thought it would be the other way around._

_I tried to get in between them and I succeeded finally, but it was no use. Ranger was mad. Morelli was pissed. I was scared that Morelli was going to beat the shit out of them, therefore I made my second attempt to break them up. I didn't even hear the doorbell ring, with all the screaming and hollering the three of us are making._

_Long behold, Angie Morelli and Grandma Bella had walked into the room. "THAT IS ENOUGH," it was Angie. Oh boy, just what I needed tonight, more drama._

_But it worked. Everybody knew that when Angie talked you listened, even Ranger. But now it was Bella's turn, and sometimes she could be just as scary. Well not sometimes, all the time actually. " WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS," then she turned to Ranger and pointed at him. " You!!"_

" _The name is Ranger," he stated smugly, clearly not thinking right after the beating he just took._

" _I know what your name is, and it's not Ranger," she said. " I see things, and I see you are clearly not welcome in my grandson's home."_

" _What are you going to do about it?"_

"_Carlos Manoso, I know you, and I know what you do for a living. I also know that my grandson does not like you for personal reasons, that I can clearly see now," she stopped and looked at me. I was now standing by Joe with my arms wrapped around his waist. " How are you sweetheart, are you alright?"_

_My jaw dropped, but I managed to reply, " Yea, I'm alright, just a little shook up."_

_She nodded and then turned her wrath on both the guys this time, " You should be ashamed of yourselves. Fighting like a bunch of lions. You too are grown men, so start acting like it." She looked back at Ranger and pointed, " and you young man. If you step one foot in this house or come around any of my family again, I will put the eye on you." She looked at me and smiled, " and that includes Stephanie." She walked towards him and his eyes started to get real big, I bit back a laugh. Oh yea, he was scared alright. " Now, Mr. Manoso, I think we can agree on these terms that I just stated, can't we?"_

_And he was gone. The whole time Joe was silent. Probably scared what his mother, or grandma Bella was going to do to him. He left my side and walked over to the sofa and sat down. He let out a long sigh while he started to rub he arm. I went into the kitchen to get him some ice. I was about to walk back in when I heard his mother start scolding him. She was telling him that now was not the time for childish games, especially since soon he was going to have a child of his own. She reminded him that I had made my choice the other day and that choice had been him. I smiled at that. She was sweet really, but sometimes, I don't know. She also told him to leave yesterday's baggage a thing of the past and to enjoy the life he had now. _

_I walked in at that point and she looked up and smiled. " I heard you had your first doctor's appointment today, so we decided to come by after church to have a look."_

" _A look at what," I responded, " the baby isn't due until the 21__st__ of January," I finished._

"_Well you must have a sonogram picture that they took, don't you?"_

_Oh yea, we did have one of those. I assumed she just wanted to see for herself that the baby is in fact the real deal and not just a made up pun. I nodded and leaned over to pick up the sonogram off the coffee table. I walked over to her and handed it to her._

_The first thing she did was gasp, Bella to. Like this was the proof they needed. "Gracias Dios," she whispered._

_I didn't see what the big deal was. You could barely see anything right now anyway. But to them that was all they needed to see. That picture._

_We talked a little while longer, and then Joe walked them to the door. After they left he came back and sat down. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he couldn't._

"_What," I asked him quietly, " what is it you need to say?"_

_He looked at me and chuckled, " Cupcake," he began, " I want to make sure that this is what you want. I don't want to be considered guilty for holding you back or something. I want you to be happy."_

"_Joe, right now, at this moment, I couldn't be happier. You're my world Joe, I love you."_

_He smiled and let out a sigh or relief. " I love you too, Cupcake."_

_Ever since we found out I was pregnant, our lovemaking has been sensational. It was slow and tender and simple and sweet all at the same time. What couldn't be put into words was put into actions, and that's the way it was tonight. We fell asleep in each others arms, content. Glad to have any of the drama behind us at least for now._

_Authors Note: Hey thanks for sticking with me. I'm new at this, so it's still kind of scary for me. This event actually did happen to me once, my grandma yelling at my boyfriend to grow up. It was hilarious so I thought I would use it in a different way._

_But I did have this idea. I'm going to give you a title for a future chapter in this story, and I want to see what you think would happen. I've been getting a lot of good feedback so I'm interested to see what you want._

_Here it is…_

_An All Girls Day Out…Well Mostly_

_Just send me a list of characters you want to see in it. Also send me an event that maybe you would like to put those characters in. _


	6. Hot Flashes and Lula

_I woke up to a loud pounding on the door. I rolled over and groaned. Who would be here at this hour? I reached for the clock to look at the time._

_10:30 am._

_Shit! I was beyond late for work. _

_Joe had tried to fight me on this again, the whole going to work while being pregnant didn't settle to well for him. But I was adamant. I told him I was going. Even though deep down I really don't want to. It had been nice to stay at home all day. But no, I was to stubborn to admit that in front of Joe. I think secretly he knew it too, but he didn't say anything._

_I got up and went downstairs. Bob was laying in front of the door, his head on his paws, looking up at me. Probably trying to tell me to make the crazy person go away or else he would eat them, and I had no doubt that he probably could. I laughed to myself as I bent over to pet him. He was a good dog, just not when he's eating my bra's, or underwear._

_That damn knocking just won't stop._

"_Stephanie, I know you're in there." It was Lula. " Open this fucking door, or I'm going to fucking break it down, and I don't care if this is Officer Hottie's house. You shouldn't be asleep at this hour anyway. I bet it's because you were up late last night, isn't it? Oh man girl, I'm getting hot flashes. Open the door!"_

_I just rolled my eyes and laughed. Lula definitely had a way with words. She came bounding in as I opened the door for her._

"_Well it's about fucking time. What you been doing girl? Hiding? You know what, just cause you have a hottie for a baby daddy don't mean you have to hide all the time. Why ain't you at work," she asked as she started fanning herself. " Man the hot flashes are worse in here. Man I bet Morelli's been naked in this very spot. Ooo girl, I'm so jealous. So answer my question, why ain't you at work?!"_

_I looked at her to see if she was finished. She just stared at me back, then she started rummaging through her bag and found a half eaten bag of chips and started muching on them. She looked at me again, and I laughed._

"_I don't know, I kind of overslept, and Morelli didn't wake me up when he left the house this morning."_

_She looked at me and nodded. Then her eyes traveled to my stomach. "Man you look famished. What is Officer Hottie feeding you anyways?"_

_I laughed and looked down at my stomach, the place where my baby was sleeping. " I'm on a diet." Her eyes bugged out at me when she heard me say the words._

"_Yea I know, laugh all you want, but this is important to me. I've screwed a lot of things up in my life and I don't want this to be one of them. Now I know I don't know a lot about kids,"_

" _Girl," she laughed, "you don't know anything about kids. Remember that time we were babysitting Lisa and you put her diaper on wrong?"_

" _It was an honest mistake," I said as I shrugged my shoulders and tried to defend myself._

" _What about the time you were watching Lelani and she started throwing a fit and you tried to put a binky in her mouth?"_

" _So every kid needs a binky."_

" _She was two, she didn't use one any more, and it was another kids that you stole."_

" _So what are you trying to say," I asked._

" _I'm saying nothing. Except maybe you might consider taking one of those parenting classes that they have, down at the rec center. I heard they are really cool. They have live kids you can practice on."_

_I laughed at her. She had no idea how bad she just made that sound, like the kids were practice dummies or something. But I just let it slide. She was right, I didn't know the first thing about being a parent. And the binky incident was an honest mistake too. How was I to know she didn't use one anymore. I mean sure I knew it wasn't hers but still. All binkys are the same aren't they?"_

" _So are you ever coming back to work," Lula was asking._

" _I don't know," I replied, " I really don't want to. I just want to sit back and enjoy my first time being pregnant, you know, like my sister did." Then I paused. What was wrong with me. I was usually always ready for a challenge, no matter what the circumstance. If somebody wanted to kill me, chains couldn't keep me in a safe place. I was always out in the action. But now all the sudden I'm pregnant and I don't want to be. Hold that thought. Time to go meet my new best friend. _

_I covered my mouth as I ran upstairs._

_*************************************************************************************_

_Around noon, I was feeling better, and Joe had called and asked if Lula and I wanted lunch. I said yes and so now here we we're. Sitting in a booth at Pino's, waiting for their pizza and my salad to arrive._

_When we started to eat Lula just stared at me as I ate my salad and shook her head. " I wouldn't of believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," she mumbled, " wait till Connie hears about this one."_

_I just laughed. So did Joe. The conversation was at a low when my dickhead of an ex- husband walked in. He saw us, laughed, and then went to place his order. I'm guessing while he waited he thought it would be a good idea to come talk to us._

"_Stephanie," he started_

_Dumb ass, I really wanted to say, but I didn't. " Richard."_

" _I heard you were expecting, Congratulations. Or should I say good luck to the baby, it'll need it with you as a mother."_

" _Well let's hope you never have any kids, Dickie. They'll be watching homemade porn all the time. Compliments of d-a-d-d-y."_

" _You know what-" he started._

" _I think," Morelli interrupted him, " that it would be in your best interest to leave," he said in his no nonsense cop voice._

_He stood there for a few seconds, turned around on one heel, and left._

" _Why did you marry him again," Lula asked._

_I laughed and shook my head. I really don't remember. All I remember was holding my breath from the day we became engaged to the night the wedding night was over. It meant I never had to have sex with him again. But he took care of his needs in other ways._

_But that's ok. I was over him. Hell I wasn't even into him at all, I thought to myself as my mind began to wonder. I thought about the speech that I gave Joe the other day. Every single bit I said was true. Maybe the only reason I did marry Dickie was because I pictured it was Joe who I was marrying, cause I know I sure as hell wouldn't marry him in my right mind. Who would? _

_I turned to Joe and smiled at him. " You're amazing."_

_He looked at me, and there I saw it. His heart shining through his eye. " So are you, Steph, so are you," he said as he flashed me that sexy-slow grin of his, full of smooth moves, and tons of charm, only Joe could pull off._

" _Holy fuck," Lula said, " I think I just wet myself," she exclaimed, referring to Joe's smile, as she started fanning herself._

_I smiled and laughed at her, so do I, Lula, so do I._


	7. My Baby

It's been three months since that day at Pino's, and my life couldn't be better. 

Today was especially going to be a special day, because today was the day that Joe and I were going to find out the sex of our baby. It was like a shining light at the end of the dark tunnel. We had discussed not finding out and just being surprised when it got here. But me being stubborn wanted to find out right away. I told him that he didn't have to have a visit with the toilet every morning and this would be my present. He just laughed and agreed, I think it was because he didn't want to argue.

We couldn't get to the hospital fast enough. I was so impatient, and Morelli could to nothing to calm me down. This was my day. I told him that once we found out what it was we were going to go baby shopping. That was a subject he was trying to avoid the whole time and today he would have no excuse. We were going to know, so we didn't have to wait.

The doctor laughed at me when I danced into the room in my hospital gown and blue jeans. Luckily I wasn't that big, so the whole self-conscious thing wasn't a big deal to me. I remember the night before at my parents house. Valerie had been annoyed that I didn't even look pregnant like she did at five months. I just laughed at her. I loved her being jealous of me, and that was the icing on the cake. 

Morelli had been sitting there quietly watching me dance around the room. I looked at him and he just rolled his eyes. Secretly I knew he wanted to find out too. 

"So let's get started," the doctor began, " before you put John Travolta to shame."

I laughed and took my place on the table. The doctor was doing a damn good job avoiding the whole sex of the baby thing, probably cause she knew that I wanted to know so bad. She pointed out it's little arms and hands. The legs were long, maybe she will play basketball like her grandpa wanted her to. I could already vision that big foam finger. It's feet were just too cute, and I could picture myself dressing my baby in a lot of shoes. She told us that our baby was doing well and that the due date might be a little earlier in January than expected. She told me that I was a little farther along then she thought. That was ok with me, the sooner I get this baby out the sooner I get to dress it up in little clothes and shoes.

Now here it was, the moment of truth. Secretly I had been hoping for a boy, and I knew Joe was hoping for a girl. But I also knew we both would be satisfied. 

The doctor was doing something weird to my stomach. " Before we find out what it you're having," she started, " there is something that I have to tell you."

I looked up with interest. She sounded serious, so I started to get nervous. She picked up the instrument again and put it on my stomach. " Now as you can see here, the baby's head is up and not down like you see in most sonograms. It wasn't like that last month, so sometime this past month it must have turned. The baby is in what we call a breech position. I did that thing with your stomach earlier to see if I could move it but I can't. Normally with breech babies, we deliver with a c-section," she paused to take in my reaction.

I just laid there. I knew what it was, I had been reading the book that Mary Lou gave me. And to say if I was scared. Not really, I knew that it was a possibility with all pregnancies. So I just listened on.

" Now if you have a c- section, an epidural is generally given."

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally an excuse to have an epidural. I knew that Joe and his family wanted me to have the baby naturally. "For the good of the child," Bella had said. But I really wanted the shot. My mother also was rooting for a natural birth. As for my father, he said I can do whatever I damn well please, just as long as he gets his grandchild.

" Is there anyway the baby can change positions," it was Joe. See he wanted a natural birth, I told you so.

" At this point, I don't know. It just depends on how big it gets, and how big her uterus is. Generally if I see a breech baby at five months, I see know change," the doctor said.

Yea! I secretly thought. 

"But it is possible," Joe asked.

" Yea, it is possible, but I hardly ever see it happen. Stephanie is pretty small, so I think that you guys should just prepare to do a cesarean. I don't foresee it moving."

" Is there anything she could do to help," he asked. I made a mental note myself that if the baby did turn by the time I deliver to make his time in the delivery room a living hell, so he would have to agree to an epidural.

" I'm afraid not," she was saying, " unfortunately this whole thing is up to the baby."

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he just laughed. Like or not Joe Morelli, either way I'm getting that epidural. 

The conversation had moved on, and we were looking at the machine again. She had again pointed out various features of our baby, including it sucking it's thumb. Good, I thought, then it should like a binky. She zoomed into one perfect shot, and Joe eyes just started watering, and I knew.

It's a girl.

My first baby was a girl, no doubt about it. She typed on the picture and printed it off for us, but I was already having visions of all the things we were buying our baby today. It's a good thing I had saved my money that I had brought in from the skips I collected these past three months. Our baby was going to be so spoiled. I pictured her in little pink dresses with the little bloomers underneath. And little MaryJane shoes. Oh yes. I also pictured her with dark hair like her daddy's, hair that I could tie up in bow's and curl it, when she had her first dance recital. 

The doctor' s visit was soon over, and we were driving in Joe's SUV to the mall, where we were going to first eat lunch at the food court, and second shop for our little princess. The whole time on the way we were talking about baby names. I was thinking of names while he listened.

" What about Graciella, we can call her Gracie," I said.

" No," he started, " I want something, I don't know, something more easy-going, like Emily or something."

I nodded my head and thought about it. Emily was cute, calm but cute. " Ok, Emily it is."

I placed my hand where Emily was laying. "Hey Emily, I hope everything is ok in there. You're daddy and I are going shopping today just for you." 

He laughed and put his hand on my stomach, " Cupcake, your something else."

The day had been productive. We left the Baby Store with a crib, with pink flowery bedding, A car seat, that I had Joe install just for fun before we left. A pink and brown polk-a-dot diaper bag. A ton of clothes and shoes. And even one of those little bouncers that she could sleep in with the whole vibration/music mode. I even stopped to make a gift registry for the little things that I didn't want to get yet, like bottles and binkys. 

We had left just in time to make it to my parent's house for dinner. She was having Angie over that night so we could tell her the good news too.

They were ecstatic, especially my dad, who started talking about basket ball, ballet, and that damn foam finger. He eventually decided to drag Joe to the mall. And when they got back I could see why. He was holding something from the Baby Gap. It was a onesie that read "Grandpa's Little Girl."

I laughed at him, but than I paused. I couldn't remember him being so excited when he found out Valerie was having the girls. I mean granted they were in California at the time. But still, they were here when he found out about Lisa. I just decided to drop it, and have fun with my family tonight.

*************************************************************************************

Now I bet you're wondering about Ranger, well he did come back, but that led to more fights, a black eye from me, and a restraining order. I guess eventually he quit trying. I had tried to be his friend, but evidently he wanted more than I was going to give him. I still loved him, in his own way, but it wasn't lustful love, it was the same type of love I felt for Mary Lou, friendly love.

Eventually the restraining order dropped, thanks to some very persuasive techniques that I can't mention, but Joe had agreed to drop it. I told him I couldn't avoid Ranger forever since I practically work with him, even though I was pretty much sick of my job and wanted to quit. And he agreed, much to his disliking, I'm sure. But I was able to reassure him that my heart was his and his alone, thanks again to some very reassuring techniques that a cannot mention.

*************************************************************************************

I had past my sixth and seventh month mark with no complaints. Not much weight gain, much to Valerie's dismay. And thankfully the morning sickness had stopped. Emily was doing great. She was still breech, which Joe didn't like of course, and we eventually told our family that she was breech, and that we were going to have a c-section. 

"But they give you an epidural honey," Angie had said, "aren't you the least bit worried."

"Lucky bastard," my father had muttered, probably referring to the fact that when my mother was in labor, she went all natural, no epidural. 

I wasn't concerned, really I wasn't. Either way the baby had to come out. I just wanted the baby to be here, and be safe.

*************************************************************************************

Well into my eighth month was my baby shower, and it seemed like the whole burg had shown up. My mothers house was packed and there were more people waiting outside, which concerned me for a little while since it was the end of December, literally. Everybody should have been at home ready to ring in the new year. Our families were going to do it here after the baby shower, there were shower snacks in the kitchen and New Years snacks waiting at Mrs. Morelli's house. They were probably waiting to see if the Stephanie Plum was indeed pregnant or if it was all a hoax. 

Joe and my father were at his mother's house, guarding tonights' snacks with their lives. They were told if one piece was missing it would be their heads. 

I got everything I needed plus more. Diapers, bottles, clothes, toys, binkys, even a highchair and baby swing. And as much as I hate to admit it I had a pretty good time, and at the end of the night the two mothers stood up together in front of the fire place and cleared there throats.

" Now Stephanie," Angie began, " we all wanted to say congratulations to you and Joseph, now I know we've been saying it a lot these past few months, but still. We never pictured this happening for another ten years so you have to give us some credit. I think we're still in shock."

I laughed and nodded, I was still in shock too.

"These past few months," my mother started, " we have been thinking about what you really need. You've got the clothes, and toys, stuff that the baby needs, but what do you need."

" We finally came up with one answer. Once the baby is born it will seem like the errands will never stop. You'll be so busy going here and going there, taking the baby to appointments," 

" Family dinners," my mother interrupted and I laughed, for as long as I live I will never be able to get out of a family dinner.

"exactly," Angie agreed. " So we decided to pull some strings and put some money together to get you something useful."

Omg they got me a nanny. I didn't want a nanny.

"We got you a car," mom interrupted my thoughts.

Why do I need a nanny for, wait a minute, did they just say car.

" You got me a car?"

"Yep, we decided the past few months have been great for you. Things are calming down, you haven' t been stalked, and no cars have exploded."

But it was too late I was already up, running as fast as I could outside. There it was. SUV definitely, really nice, oh yea. Ever going to explode, no way. I decided I was done with the whole bounty hunting thing since I hit my third trimester, I just needed one more little push, and this was it. I was jumping up and down when I felt something run down my leg. Now I know I didn't just pee. 

Oh shit. " Umm, Mom," I called out, " I think my water just broke."

She and Angie were down the steps in a flash, parting people like the red sea, to assist me up the stairs and into the house. Everybody except family were shooed out of the house and were told they would be notified when any information was received. One of Joe's sisters was on my side rubbing my belly to help soothe the pain that was just beginning.

The doctor had told me that I could go into labor at anytime. I already had been in false labor like two weeks ago, but for some reason this time I knew it was real.

I don't remember everything that had happened the past ten minutes, in fact I don't even remember anybody using the phone to call Joe, so it surprised me when he was on my side escorting me outside, to take me to the hospital. My father being nothing but generous drove us there.

Joe was going to be in the delivery room, that was a given. But the doctor had told us we could have two people to be in there with us. We had talked about it and agreed, the natural choice had been my father. He was ecstatic when we asked him, he took everybody out to the Olive Garden, that night. I laughed at the memory before another sharp pain ripped through me. I remember yelling at Joe, telling him we were never having sex again. And I also remember my father telling me that yes I was going to have sex with Joe again to give him another grandchild.

Oh yea, God did have a crazy sense of humor.

We were at the hospital, and I was finally in bed hooked up to some monitors.

The doctor had came in and said that she didn't' t want start the epidural so I could get up and walk around, if I wanted, to help ease the contractions.

I walked for about three hours with Morelli. We toured the nursery, the maternity floor, even the waiting area. By that time the contractions were fierce, so we decided to get back to the room.

When we got there the anesthesiologist was there, waiting. " I bet you're ready for this," he smiled.

"My hero," I managed to say before another contraction tore through my body.

After the needle was in. I was fine. I was able to sleep for a few more hours, before the doctor came in and told us it was time.

I don't remember everything that happened while in surgery but I do remember watching Joe the whole time. I couldn't see anything, since they had that damn sheet up, but watching Joe's face was like watching the birth. His reactions were like a glass mirror. I felt a few tugs and pulls, and then I heard it.

The cry that I have been dying to hear since the day I found out I was pregnant. I was able to get a first glimpse of my baby girl when Joe cut the cord. And now here she was, sleeping peacefully in my arms. All 6 pounds 8 ounces of her.

"She so peaceful," Joe stated as he looked at out precious baby girl.

"Yea she is," I agreed.

"Haven," Joe said.

"_What," I whispered._

" _That's her name Haven Raine."_

_The name was peaceful, serene. The way I was feeling when I watched her little chest move up and down._

Tiny hands, yes that's youAnd all you show, it's simply true

_She looked like Joe. That was obvious. Her hands had been curled up into fists that she was clutching to her chest. She had curly dark hair, compliments of both me and her daddy. She had her fathers Mediterranean skin tone, but my blue eyes. She was long, 21 inches I was told, just like her daddy was when he was born. _

I smell your breath,It makes me cryI wonder how,I've lived my life

_This whole time I had been looking at her I couldn't believe I hated waited so long to have a child. She was perfect. They say love at first sight only exists in fairy tales but I now knew that to be a lie. I was so in love with this baby in my arms, that I couldn't even see straight. I could tell Joe was too, he couldn't take his eyes off her._'Cause without you,How did I get throughAll of my days, without you?Now living with you,See everything's trueMy baby it's youMy baby, my baby, my babyWith no words at all,So tiny and smallIn love I fall,So deep, so deepMy precious love,Sent from aboveMy baby boo,God I thank you, God I thank you'Cause without you,How did I get through(How'd I get through)All of my days, without you?Now living with you,See everything's trueMy baby it's you(My baby it's you)My baby, my baby, my baby 

_Haven was a perfect name for her no doubt. I was calm, which is something I hadn't pictured after giving birth. I expected to feel panicked since I was now half in charge of this little life in my hands, but I wasn't ._

_I handed her off to Joe before the chaos began. The first one in the door, was of course my daddy. He had left after the baby was born to go give out statistics and let Joe and I have some alone time with her before the crowds came in. He went right to Joe, grabbed the baby, and went and sat on the other side of my on the bed._

" _She's beautiful," he breathed. He was in love, I could definitely tell. " Name?"_

" _Haven Raine," I smiled at him._

" _Of course," he smiled, " a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."_

_He looked at her legs, " Yep I definitely need to get that foam finger out, she's a basketball player alright." He then looked at her petite frame. " I don't know. Joe what do you think? You think she's a ballerina too?"_

" _I think," Joe said as he got up and moved around the bed to hold our child once more, " that she can be what she wants to be. Hey I might even get a foam finger too."_

_I just smiled and rolled my eyes at the two of them. Nerds? Yes, but I loved them both dearly. I just hope our poor daughter understood why her grandpa and daddy, were waving foam fingers all the time while the other kids parents weren't._

Song is My Baby by Britney Spears


	8. Haven's Christmas Ring

Haven was indeed perfect in everyway. She was our new year's baby. Of course in the beginning it was kind of rough getting used to the middle of the night feedings, and Italian temper tantrums, compliments of her daddy, definitely not me. But she was my baby.

She had grown up so fast, and she was such a good girl. I remember her first birthday we had taught her to say thank you. She was saying thank you all night long. She said it to the people for her presents. Her piece of cake and ice cream, even when Joe and I tucked her in that night she said thank you.

Daddy of course was her first word and it fitted. She was definitely a daddy's girl, except when she was at papa's house then she was definitely a papa's girl. Papa was her given name to her grandfather and it stuck. And she got mad when any of her cousins tried to use it. That was her papa, it might have been their grandfather, but that was her papa. Needless to say that Grandpa's Little Girl onsie he bought was put to good use and now she has a shirt he bought.

Our mothers were so in love with her too, and cooked her anything she wanted. Basically all she wanted these days were macaroni and cheese, but still they cooked for her.

Her aunts and uncles, including Lula, spoiled her rotten. I remember the first time Lula saw her. " Whew, man, you're going to have to put her in chains when she's older, especially since her birthday is on New Years!"

Her appearance hadn't changed much since she was born. She still had that dark curly hair, it was longer now, naturally, but it was still dark and curly. She definitely had my blue eyes, but she still looked like Joe in every way possible. She had the same amount, maybe more, of Morelli charm that he had. If she asked for something, like a cookie, you had no choice but to melt. And shoes, oh yea. She did have a lot of shoes.

We named Mary Lou and Ranger as her god parents. Yes that's right, Ranger. He had come to the hospital that night after all the crowds had left and talked to us. He apologized for everything said and done, and asked how he could make things right. They had left the room for a little bit, but came back best friends. Literally I was shocked, and the last two years nothing could keep Joe and Ranger apart. They had guys nights, they watched baseball together, had lunch, they did everything. But that was ok with me. Ranger was good to Haven too and he had stopped coming on to me so I was ok. And I laughed as he too was a sucker to the Haven Morelli charm. That charm had led him to buy her a very expensive swing set/clubhouse.

It was a week until my baby's second birthday, and Christmas Eve day. I had gone over to my parents house with Haven in toll. I had learned at an early stage that if I tried to enter their house, especially when my dad was there, without his granddaughter, he would call out the troops and insinuate World War III. But today she was with me because they were going to open a present from Papa and Grandma.

They got her a tricycle, and when I told her not to ride it in the house, Papa had looked at me strongly. The look told me if she wanted to ride it in the house she could ride it in the house. Needless to say I quickly changed my mind.

Joe couldn't make it Christmas Eve cause he was on an investigation. But never the less I sure knew when he got here this morning. I was trying to get her in her jacket but I guess I couldn't get it on her fast enough.

The day had been fantastic. It started out with me thinking that my life couldn't get any better than it was, and it ended with me engaged, and wondering what the hell was I thinking earlier. Now my life couldn't get any better. I sighed and looked at my friend, my confidant, my fiancé. He was holding Haven, telling her a bedtime story. We were going to sleep here tonight. We were too worn out from today's excitement and festivities, to think about driving home was ridiculous. Angie had come over to spend some time with her grandbaby, so she knew the news of the engagement. And as usual the whole burg would know by morning. I laughed to myself.

This was definitely Haven's doing. The little bitty diva herself. I secretly knew that our lives wouldn't be going this way if it hadn't been for our little girl. She was our life saver, I knew it, Joe knew it, hell our whole family knew it. My thoughts were broken when I heard.

"Daddy! I want my Christmas ring too! Just like Mommy's!"


End file.
